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#30. Carnal
- Rating: 4.5/5 (275 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1234 North State St. Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: New American, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
Highest-rated restaurants in Bellingham by diners
Humans are creatures of habit. We tend to stick to our morning routines, rewatch movies we've seen time and time again, and hit up the same tried-and-true restaurants when going out for a meal. In fact, 35% of Americans say they rarely or never try a new restaurant they haven't been to before, according to a 2024 survey of more than 1,500 diners from TouchBistro.
But those numbers look quite different when you focus on younger generations—67% of Gen Zers and 40% of millennials in the U.S. say they visit new restaurants once a month or more. When it comes to deciding which new restaurant to try, younger generations are also more likely to rely on social media or online restaurant reviews, through sites like Yelp or Google. The TouchBistro survey found that 52% of Gen Zers have opted to try a new restaurant due to positive feedback on social media, and 67% of millennials have gone to a new dining spot solely because of favorable reviews online.
New restaurants in particular tend to garner a lot of online attention. About 50,000 new restaurants open each year in the U.S., and that number continues to rise. An analysis by Yelp published in June 2024 found that new restaurant openings were up 6% from May 2023 to April 2024. But some of the best restaurants in your neck of the woods might be those established eateries that customers have been visiting for decades.
To help you determine which spots—both new and long-standing—to try out, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in Bellingham, according to Yelp reviews from diners as of January 2025. Only restaurants with at least 20 reviews and a 3.0 rating were considered. Read on to find some inspiration for the next time you dine out.
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2 / 30
#29. Thai Maison
- Rating: 4.5/5 (167 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2430 James St. Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: Thai, Salad, Noodles
- Read more on Yelp
3 / 30
#28. New Public Vegan Food Truck
- Rating: 4.5/5 (43 reviews)
- Address: 700 Harris Ave. Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: Gluten-Free, Vegan, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp
4 / 30
#27. Slice of Heaven
- Rating: 4.5/5 (37 reviews)
- Address: 300 North Samish Way Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: Bakeries, Breakfast & Brunch, Comfort Food
- Read more on Yelp
5 / 30
#26. Fujisan Sushi Restaurant
- Rating: 4.5/5 (101 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1216 Harris Ave. Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: Japanese, Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp
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6 / 30
#25. El Capitán's
- Rating: 4.5/5 (82 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1201 Cornwall Ave. Unit 101 Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Pretzels, American
- Read more on Yelp
7 / 30
#24. Netos Market & Bakery
- Rating: 4.6/5 (105 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2612 West Maplewood Ave. Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: Bakeries, Grocery, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
8 / 30
#23. The Sandwich Odyssey
- Rating: 4.6/5 (188 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2001 Cornwall Ave. Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: Sandwiches, Salad, Delis
- Read more on Yelp
9 / 30
#22. Bar Cicotti
- Rating: 4.6/5 (33 reviews)
- Address: 202 Grand Ave. Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: Cafes, Wine Bars, Italian
- Read more on Yelp
10 / 30
#21. El Suenito Brewing Company
- Rating: 4.6/5 (74 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1926 Humboldt St. Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: Breweries, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
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11 / 30
#20. Chuckanut Bay Distillery
- Rating: 4.6/5 (82 reviews)
- Address: 1309 Cornwall Ave. Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: Cocktail Bars, New American
- Read more on Yelp
12 / 30
#19. Banter
- Rating: 4.6/5 (56 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 114 Prospect St. Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Cocktail Bars, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp
13 / 30
#18. Dumpling Girls
- Rating: 4.6/5 (79 reviews)
- Address: 2620 Northwest Ave. Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: Food Trucks, Asian Fusion, Chinese
- Read more on Yelp
14 / 30
#17. Sweet As Waffles
- Rating: 4.6/5 (64 reviews)
- Address: 122 East Magnolia St. Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: Food Trucks, Waffles
- Read more on Yelp
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#16. Burnt Side Down
- Rating: 4.6/5 (26 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2039 Moore St. Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: Food Trucks, Desserts, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
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16 / 30
#15. New Mexico Tamale
- Rating: 4.6/5 (264 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4151 Meridian St. Ste 106 Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: New Mexican Cuisine
- Read more on Yelp
17 / 30
#14. Ambo Ethiopian Cuisine
- Rating: 4.6/5 (73 reviews)
- Address: 902 North State St. Ste 104 Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: Ethiopian
- Read more on Yelp
18 / 30
#13. NEKO: A Cat Café
- Rating: 4.7/5 (45 reviews)
- Address: 1130 Cornwall Ave. Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: Cafes, Animal Shelters
- Read more on Yelp
19 / 30
#12. El Morazan
- Rating: 4.7/5 (48 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 410 West Bakerview Road Ste 108 Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: Salvadoran
- Read more on Yelp
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#11. Locus
- Rating: 4.7/5 (105 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 120 West Holly St. Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: Cafes, Coffee & Tea, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp
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21 / 30
#10. Jt's Smokin BBQ
- Rating: 4.7/5 (43 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2228 James St. Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: Food Trucks, Barbecue, Caterers
- Read more on Yelp
22 / 30
#9. Red Ginger Asian Cuisine
- Rating: 4.7/5 (47 reviews)
- Address: 1208 East Maple St. Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: Asian Fusion
- Read more on Yelp
23 / 30
#8. J's Kitchen
- Rating: 4.7/5 (33 reviews)
- Address: 1307 11th St. Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: Salad, Puerto Rican, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
24 / 30
#7. COF&
- Rating: 4.7/5 (68 reviews)
- Address: 1209 Cornwall Ave. Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: Cafes
- Read more on Yelp
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#6. El Maná
- Rating: 4.8/5 (36 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1538 Birchwood Ave. Ste B Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: Latin American, Bakeries, Caribbean
- Read more on Yelp
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26 / 30
#5. Otherlands Beer
- Rating: 4.8/5 (100 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2121 Humboldt St. Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: Breweries, Modern European
- Read more on Yelp
27 / 30
#4. Hollys Meat Pies
- Rating: 4.8/5 (70 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4073 Hannegan Road Ste J Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: New American, Desserts, Italian
- Read more on Yelp
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#3. Banh Mi & Bubble Tea
- Rating: 4.8/5 (33 reviews)
- Address: 2604 Meridian St. Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: Vietnamese, Bubble Tea
- Read more on Yelp
29 / 30
#2. Ashuri Baklava & Cafe
- Rating: 4.8/5 (65 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 103 Grand Ave. Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Turkish, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
30 / 30
#1. Greektown Food Truck
- Rating: 4.9/5 (45 reviews)
- Address: 2238 James St. Bellingham, Washington
- Categories: Food Trucks, Greek
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jaimie Etkin, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 318 metros.
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